Celebrating a quarter of century of existence?

(This post is a month and a half late. Haha! I've been busy with my toys)

Where I work, we have this little unspoken tradition of organizing something special whenever one of us is turning a year older. Be it some surprise party, dinner at somewhere special, or outing 'overseas'(via ferry...lol) to the mainland for some good food. Sometimes we'd just buy a delicious cake, or pool money to buy a gift for the birthday girl/boy.

Last year, I was dead sick and plastered on my work table the day before my birthday and they surprised me by turning off all the lights and bringing out a chocolate cake to celebrate with me a day earlier, cuz they were afraid I'd go on MC on my birthday. In a way, the cake chased my fever away. Haha!

This year, they gave me this bag of goodies.

I think my jaw dropped when I opened the package to find a whole stack of recipe books.

Knowing them, I did kinda hinted to them that if they wanna get me something, they can always get me some Popular book store vouchers so I can buy some recipe books...since I'm picky bout wallets (eventho mine's kinda tattered) and other accessories. I never expected EACH of them, to each get me one book. The effort of going to find a book each...gah so touched! I have wonderful colleagues who clearly knows my fetish with cooking. Haha!

They had everything covered, from entrée, main course, soups, and desserts...they even had a food guide! Also, since I'm the only banana among them (ok I can speak Mandarin now, but my written chinese is still shite)...all the books are either in English...or bi-lingual. Sweet :D

By Ms Wong and her husband. Never ventured into Thai cooking. Good as any time to start now!

All about chinese soup! From Ai Fang and Kah Hoey
One of the recipes uses chicken testicles. *KOFF*...LOL..wtf mannnn...hhahahaha!

Everything else looks yummy, delicious, and homely. Perfect.

Loads of cakes from Chew Theng.

Love love love baking cakes...but gosh so much ingredients and effort (and not enough volunteers to finish them!)

Lotsa ideas for light meal and dishes here. Thanks Teng.

Awesome elaborate chinese cuisine book by Mandy, her husband Rajen, and apparently, her 3 dogs too.

Lotsa really really 'high technique' looking food in there...Hope I'll be able to make them some day! (and yes I'll cook for you when I have the chance, my dear Mandy... /hugs!)

Salads, salads and salads...by Yi Sun. I have a thing for salads..and they know it well since I always eat in during lunch hour...wakakaka.

Chicken bonanza...my 2nd or 3rd of such book to join my recipe rack, thanks to Siew Ing. QJ will be happy :P

Always wanted to go to Hong Kong one day. Ms Oh made sure I know where to go with this book. Awesome!

This one, is from my aunt. She knew how much I loved the 1st book in this series, so she got me this, and even pre-wrap it with thick plastic cover wrapping for me. Kekekeke...even my family knows the 2 failsafe presents for me: Earrings and recipe book. Haha!

It'll take me awhile to fully go thru all these awesome recipes....so...I guess I won't be going to the bookstore to buy any recipe book for awhile (...well..unless it's for something non-asian I guess..but I always have the web for that :P )

Other gifts!

Big sis gave me (more) earrings :D ...and a bottle of Body Shop body wash. 2nd sis gave me Crabtree & Evelyn shampoo, conditioner and body wash :P 

My parents gave me a very beautiful white gold chain and pendant. Love it to bits! 

 

And my darling QJ gave me the most expensive gift I've ever received in my life!
Bloody iPhone4! Having too much fun with it. There's never a moment that I'm left with nothing to do now..haha! (well unless I juiced the damned thing out.. :P )

Never have to use SMS/MMS again. HAHA! Thank you love. I love it! X3333

Possibly the most gift loaded birthday ever. The visiting bf (bearing gifts nonetheless :P), the steamboat dinner(and dad asking a wandering saxophone guy who was performing in the restaurant to play me Happy Birthday song...so sweet of him :'3 ) and the homemade cake...made my day.

So...here's to a quarter century of my life! Haha!